Regardless of the powers of the kite, it is necessary that they are thrown into the air before they can gain heights. Therefore, a little bit of encouragement and motivation is enough to make the persons take huge risks of flying in thin air, with just a thin thread of lifeline for them.

2. Make Best Use of Resources:

Kites do not have wings, but they fly in air. They do not have feathers to control the flow of air, but they still navigate through the winds. This is because the kite-flier would know how to make good use of the winds and drafts in not just retaining their object in air, but also to make it go higher than anybody else’.

3. Overcome Shortcomings:

Kites are bound to the ground with the strand of thread. They have tails but cannot control them. They are not live flying creatures with naturally embedded gyroscopes to know which one is upside and right side… and they still make it to the heights and make the heads turn to the skies in awe and happiness. For every shortcoming, there is a great power instilled in each of the beings on earth. Those who find out the unique strength would go places and it requires a little support from those in their social circle as well.

4. Strings Attached:

Regardless of the heights that the kites can fathom, they are still stringed to their owners. Life is beautiful… conditions apply. Learn to handle the conditions and sail through the waters that the life has to offer. There is no free meal in nature and everything has strings attached. Remember… life will be boring otherwise!

5. Take Criticism Constructively:

The kite flier pulls their kite down, not to bring it back to earth, but to encourage the kite to gather more wind and go higher than it earlier was. Similarly, when people take time to give feedback or criticize someone, it has to be understood that that someone is very important to them that they spend their precious time in passing their thoughts. Appreciate the feedback and take criticism positively, without worrying about the intent behind it. The intent would become the teller’s problem if the listener takes it in the right spirit.

6. Stay Connected, Always!

While people tend to fly high in their lives, they would tend to forget their roots easily and would not mind to let go of their old friendships and relationships that they would have nurtured for years, even if it means that they have to lose a marriage over a divorce! What could success bring to those who do not care about the feelings of others? Therefore, just as the kite links itself to their owners through the strings, it is necessary for people to respect and regard all their relationships.

7. Be Flexible, But Never Break:

The sturdy kite would either fall down or break if the gusts of winds are strong enough. It has to show some degree of sturdiness and flexibility to allow the wind to do what it has got to do… lift the spirits of the kite and the altitude as well.

8. Pulled Down, Move Up:

Life will keep throwing challenges and ensure that the persons would stay in their knees as long as they think that they cannot rise up. Imagine being a kite, which is always being pulled down by its owner, but never gives up and keeps gaining better heights always. Similarly, when life pulls down, the persons should emerge hitting higher altitudes than their earlier position.

9. Ask for Help!

Kites may get stuck in trees, but would be rescued by the owners or the passing gusts of winds. Even those that are permanently stuck would become part of the canopy. Therefore, it is necessary to understand that the help is there, if one asks, or else they would be stuck in the branch or the post permanently like a kite!

10. Release or Lose!

The kite owners know that whenever they pull their kites down, they have to let go of some length of the strings to ensure that the kites stay in air. Similarly, parents and mentors should also know when to let go of their children and pupils and what length they can release at a time, since release of too much string also would bring down the kite.

While kite flying is too much fun, one has to notice the things that they can learn by just observing kites. Make use of these lessons and fly free in life and enjoy the wind in the face!

Image via http://2.bp.blogspot.com/

Year 2011 will soon be part of dustbin of history. Before the advent of 2012, let me now recapitulate how the current year has been to me so far. This year has been like any other previous years gone by – with many highs and lows, ups and downs, trials and tribulations, successes and failures. At the end of all this, I believe that the year stands out as unique because it has made me more aware of life – its mysteries and meaning. Life, as some would believe, is never shallow. It provides several layers of meaning to each happening in one’s life. Suppose we miraculously survive some ghastly accident, we immediately come to realize how God – or a superior Force – has ever been kind to us in protecting our life, even though many a time we have been very unkind to the hapless beings around us. In other words, we feel surprised to know that God never wants to punish us even though we have committed several wrongs, thereby subtly suggesting to us that we humans too should never think of hurting others just because they had hurt us in the past.

Now one more thought crops up in my mind as to how I would consider the current year –really fruitful or devoid of any meaning. Yes, it was fruitful in that I kept myself occupied in my literary pursuits or reading of books for most part of the time as I have always believed that time wasted is life wasted. I have also spent enough time in maintaining my social contacts either through attending family functions or social get-togethers or through my phone, for I believe that man is after all a part of society. What is more gratifying, however, is that I could at least devote 24 minutes of each day of 24 hours to thinking (nay, chanting, meditating, or remembering) of my real friend-philosopher-and-guide who has been instrumental in ensuring that my heart, respiration or digestive process was never disrupted even for a minute, by any of the external factors. Through this gesture of mine, I think I have also discharged my responsibilities to the Self within me – the only selfless being in the universe.

What are my expectations of the New Year now? Is there anything like New Year for God as well as His visible creations based on a calendar invented by man? The calendar is after all man-made that allows him to celebrate the birth of a new year at periodical intervals while the earth, mountains, rivers, sea or sun doesn’t have a concept of new year as such, which only lays emphasis on continuity. The earth on which we live doesn’t celebrate New Year on a particular moment in time or the water in the river doesn’t start flowing afresh when the clock strikes twelve on the midnight of 31st of each year; so also the wind that blows continually irrespective of the beginning or the end of a particular year doesn’t recognise the sanctity of a particular day in its eternal march. The same logic is applicable to man, too, who does not change any bit on the dawn of New Year unless he makes some new resolutions to bring about transformation of himself and the society around him, and struggles to implement them all round the year earnestly. His focus should be, therefore, on remaining happy throughout the New Year instead of only at the beginning of the New Year (with its shallow celebrations). This requires setting of realistic goals on his part and proper planning. Let us, therefore, plan now to make the New Year more rewarding.

Leaving my family and everything I know

Made out this morning by the evening I’ll see headlights

I may be back before too long

If southern hospitality is not that strong

The winters season people with a sense of taste and reason

Rock me mama like a wagon wheel

Rock me mama anyway you feel

Hey, momma rock me.

Rock me mama like the wind and the rain

Rock me momma like a south bound train

Hey, momma rock me.

Southern people think we’re goofy and likewise northerners

Think the south has got it easy and they cut too many corners

Some may even think that we need to change our borders.

But a change of peace and love is what’s in store

If we want to make the world better than before

The new world order is the lack of law and order

Matthew West

Spring 2008

Perspectives and Initiatives for Energy Efficiency and Combating Climate Change in Guanajuato, Mexico: A Report

Imagine that you live in Bangladesh and that your family’s livelihood has for as long as anyone alive in it can remember, been fishing. Naturally, you might live near the coast. Now imagine that for the past five or six years your family has had to relocate farther inland two or three times due to rising sea levels; your country is essentially on the verge of disappearance.

The facts and evidence are out there, global warming is a problem. Our planet, at least as far as we know at the moment, is not an unlimited reservoir of resources. We are beginning (at the very least) to understand what happens when we are not careful, responsible stewards of our planet. The effects are not always obvious to identify, but we can notice plenty by following what is now more or less basic science. When we burn excessive amounts of fossil fuels, the release of greenhouse gases contributes to rises in global temperatures, which greatly affect living conditions around the world, some regions so much that it pushes people to the breaking point, like Bangladesh and tiny islands in Indonesia. The existence of these islands is increasingly threatened by rising sea levels, caused by the melting of polar ice caps, itself caused by the rise in global temperatures.

Some maintain global warming is still just a theory, that we cannot be sure humans are the principal cause of this global trend in temperature increases and climate pattern alterations. However, when large numbers of expert scientists from several different countries, who have more or less devoted their lives to the study of our environment, tell us that we are causing a great deal of the damage, I can only conclude that it would be foolish to ignore their warnings.

Beginning from the most basic logic, we can say that if a global problem exists, a problem that either now or later will affect just about everyone on our planet, the best way to combat it and maybe solve it as soon as possible would surely have to include the participation of just about every part of the world. Therefore, we can apply this logic to our world’s looming climate crisis. If we really intend to curb greenhouse gas emissions and begin to stabilize and eventually lower the temperature of our planet, it is going to require initiatives from all parts of the globe, from the largest cities to the smallest villages. Any progress in this department is often attributed solely to large cities and states, but we must not fail to acknowledge what actions people are and are not taking in smaller communities either, and give them credit where it is due. And although we can certainly say the most immediately effective changes will be made only by the actions of the largest states and cities, there also must exist a certain mindset among our world’s people about the problem and what each individual can do to contribute to its resolution. For without the mindset, there can be no initiative to change. This means raising awareness, developing institutions, organizations, clubs, etc devoted to this purpose, in order to engrain in the minds of citizens that we must all participate if we truly want to fight this problem.

And so it is with all this in mind, as well as my interest in what everyday working people and small towns can do towards global collaboration, that I intend to examine what is being done towards and what mentalities exist about the climate problem in one moderately-sized town of about one hundred thousand in south central Mexico, Guanajuato, Guanajuato. An examination of climate-change mentality just might point us in the right direction as to where we need to take people mentally, so that climate change contributions become a part of everyday concerns. Additionally, such an examination will hopefully reveal to us what is being done and what more needs to be done in Guanajuato and places similar to Guanajuato, as well as what sort of things are inhibiting further and more effective action, the effect that is having on the climate, and how we can help these places to do more. In order to gain this information and perspectives, I resolved to shed light on some of the more informed perspectives on what is being done about climate change in Guanajuato, speaking with officials at any local environmentally-related organizations I could find. To complement this with an idea of what action is currently visible and what the average citizens observes, I spoke with a few randomly-chosen, ordinary citizens here in Guanajuato, in order to try to get some sort of sample of how Guanajuatans view things, what they do to combat the problem, and what their perceptions are about larger scale efforts to combat the problem in their area. We can reasonably infer that significant government efforts at combating climate change and the energy crisis, if they exist, would be visible to ordinary citizens in Guanajuato, as the problem affects all and in almost all arenas. In short, we shall see what the citizens see.

Several miles northeast of the city of Guanajuato lies a rather secluded environmental and outdoor recreational park by the name of Las Palomas. The facilities and grounds are designated an ANP by the local government, which stands for Area Natural Protegida, or Natural Protected Area. This designation by the government and the fact that the Guanajuatan state government itself posts its Ecological Institute sign on the bulletin board at the entrance to the facility might suggest that the government here is actually doing the protecting. However, those that work at the facility do not exactly attest to this. The park at Las Palomas is run by several workers, most of whom are young and some of whom are studying for future environmentally related careers, who rotate in weekly shifts at the facility, performing various tasks other than mere facility maintenance. They assist in the provision of the main activity at Las Palomas, environmental education. While the intricacies of basic, long-known environmental science may not seem immediately relevant here, the majority of what Palomas does is hold workshops to educate children about the fragility of our environment and how we must act responsibly regarding our everyday use of environmental resources. We must not underestimate the care for the environment that is almost always engendered into human minds upon a greater understanding of it.

One of the first things I noticed when approaching the entrance at Las Palomas is that virtually all of the acreage leading up to the facility itself is carved up into small canals, which are used for retaining water so that at least a decent level of moisture may be retained in the generally dry soil around the area. This attempt to conserve rainfall is reflective of the general state of things here in Guanajuato: water is scarce and most citizens are used to this problem. In addition though, the water detainments at Las Palomas do not just help to maintain the conditions of the soil, but in turn naturally provide a more fertile base for the trees planted on their grounds for reforestation projects. Many of the names of the trees are labeled on the trees themselves with wooden planks for educational purposes. The principal activities at Las Palomas are as follows: environmental education of children, reforestation/soil conservation, and the separation of organic and inorganic trash. Organic trash is used to develop compost to put back into the soil.

The use of natural gas is far and away the principal means used here in Guanajuato for heating water and cooking in general. General electricity comes from the local power plants, which a local engineering student told me were some of the nicest he has seen, obviously implying how much the local government here puts into them. Guanajuato has historically been one of the richest states in Mexico. At Las Palomas, natural gas is only used for cooking; all other electrical power is solar. As you make your way up the pathway that leads to the entrance of Las Palomas, you immediately notice two large solar panels on your right and left, each with alternating positive and negative energy converters attached to the under-side of the panels. Las Palomas runs camping grounds as well, any electrical power for which is also provided by the sun. It is generally quite sunny for most of the time in Guanajuato, especially during the dry season when I was there and consequently, the manager at Las Palomas, whom I will refer to as Amelia, told me that the solar panels they use could not really be more useful and effective. She says they are reliable, and although sort of expensive to purchase at the outset, last for very long periods of time and require little maintenance.

It is obviously recognizable that a significant effort at preserving natural resources and combating climate change should include the implementation, at least as the next step, of these types of alternative energy sources, like solar power. Since Guanajuato is often so sunny, one might assume it could easily implement and benefit from solar power. Theoretically, it could. But according to Amelia, who is twenty-eight years old and studying to be an environmental engineering professor, the local government in Guanajuato will not permit the widespread commercial selling or distribution of alternative energy sources, like solar and wind power. All of these initiatives must be private. At the same time, Amelia, who has been the manager of the ten-year-old park for three years now, says the local government provides very little financial assistance to the park, despite basically claiming it as a part of one of its divisions. Las Palomas relies on donations and the small entry fees it charges for visitors in order to maintain its facilities and practices. Amelia considers the environmental education that takes place at the park to be essential to any effort at ingraining climate change awareness, or simply environmental preservation, into the minds of little ones. But the amount of children Amelia receives at Las Palomas is not a lot, she says, and the ones that do come do not come often. She knows of no other environmental education/preservation program or facility similar to hers in the immediate Guanajuato area. Nor did Braulio, the other worker I spoke to.

Amelia seems to think the government is afraid to implement alternative energy technologies, even when the potential benefits are obvious- the frequent sun and wind in Guanajuato could generate much power- at least partially because the current energy provision is provided by the government itself here. So, if this is a source of revenue for the government, one might understand the reluctance to abandon any solid source of income that already exists and is already providing jobs and energy for citizens who need it. Supposedly, according to Amelia, some governmental programs do exist in the area and are largely devoted to what she thinks are the government’s only three environmental priorities: recycling, reforestation, and water conservation; the first of which is quite basic and the last of which is essential and unique to the area. She is not convinced the government does much of this out of a concern for the environment rather than the simple need to conserve water so that people can live, keep the city relatively clean, and prevent the surrounding area from becoming a barren, tree-less wasteland. Her research and experience has not revealed to her any kind of collective, consistent commitment on the part of the local government to maintaining the health of the trees that are planted in reforestation projects, trees that likely represent our planet’s principal carbon-vacuum like process. For instance, she suggested that for the most part, when trees are planted the planter regard their work completed and do not return to check the health of the tree.

For Amelia, the problem is one of enforcement and education. She feels that greater enforcement mechanisms are needed to more or less threaten citizens with forms of punishment for failing to comply with environmental regulations that need to be in place. It may even be necessary for the government to sponsor programs to raise awareness or, as she put it, to almost frighten people into fearing for their own existence or the existence of their children in the future with daunting displays of the potential catastrophic effects of rising sea levels, droughts, air contamination, etc. This may be the only way to truly move the problem from the back of people’s minds to somewhere near the middle, at the least. And this is what Amelia feels is another large part of the problem: our mindsets. We here warnings about the problem, but then we routinely forget about it and go on about our everyday lives, possibly leaving the presentation we just saw about climate change by getting in our SUV’s and driving home. A consistent message might serve to bring the concern to the forefront of our minds each day and eventually affect our actions.

As regards her own private efforts, Amelia claims to do the things that we all need to be doing at this point, the simple things that add up to big differences: refraining from using lights unless they are greatly needed, keeping electrical devices off when they are not being used, utilizing public transportation when possible, recycling plastic, glass, paper, etc. But she does not observe similar activity among her peers, who seem to hear about the problem, express concern, but then continue living seemingly unaffected or unmoved to significant action. Nor does she give much credit to the generation older than her, of whom many seem to be stuck in their old, traditional, inefficient ways. Supposedly and hopefully, these enforcement mechanisms of which I spoke earlier could serve to motivate these types of people.

Guanajuato seems to be promoting an extensive campaign towards recycling and the proper disposal of trash. Simply walking around the city one notices signs reminding people how to dispose of different particular kinds of trash, and the Ecological Institute issues pamphlets detailing its activities in recycling. The trash problem might not be something obviously and directly related to climate change, but upon further inquiry it can teach us what kind of environmentally harmful and atmosphere-warming chemicals are released into the air and the land when say, for instance, a plastic bottle is left lying around in a field for several months at a time. Secondly, the trash problem can give us an idea about the city’s general concern for the environment and just how big a priority it is. Guanajuato is a city of twists and turns and hidden alleys and hidden spaces and while walking a good ways away from downtown, one frequently stumbles upon large heaps of trash piled up in spaces the sizes of the plots for moderately-sized houses. Essentially, hidden garbage reservoirs.

Anita is an elderly woman who teaches yoga at a local gym in Guanajuato. She has lived in Guanajuato all her life. She remembers when winters were actually cold here and when she was a girl how it did not become so hot so early during the year, telling me how around spring time the temperature used to hover in between twenty-five and twenty-eight degrees Celsius. She regularly observes it to now rarely drop below thirty. The host father with whom I have been living here for the past four months has told me more or less the same thing. The citizens who have been here a long time have noticed significant long-term temperature increases. Although Anita believes this process of global warming to have been occurring since the creation of our earth, she recognizes how the process is largely evolutionary, how at certain points in time we cross certain temperature thresholds and the problem eventually reaches a point demanding significant human action to curb the effects. We are only now being warned about the problem because its effects are only now glaringly obvious to even an almost environmentally-apathetic individual. According to Anita, our earth is not yet contaminated, but will be soon if we do not act. Contamination is what she focuses on to be a great portion of the problem, namely, air pollution from factories and water pollution from contaminated rivers and other water sources. She sees the abundant factories in the nearby city of Leon and resource processing plants to be some of the greatest contributors to the local problem. At least this is likely the manifestation of what she also, like Amelia, believes to be the root of the problem: our minds.

Anita however, views the mind problem as one largely related to consumerism. In short, we are an overly-consumerist society that simply out of ignorance thinks it is perfectly acceptable to continue consuming unnecessary amounts of products, products whose creation at this point in time stem from traditional manufacturing methods (not renewable ones) and that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Or on the other hand, plenty of us are aware of the effect our consumption has on the environment, but simply do not care out of selfishness. She simply pin-points material greed as an enormous part of the problem. And she is right; we can learn to do without excessive amounts of irresponsibly-produced products, especially if we are convinced it means the continued well-being of our lives on earth and those of our children. Hopefully, though, we can motivate people to altruistically care for the environment that we are largely in control of, instead of merely keeping it from going to waste so that we can use it again in the future.

Again, a citizen points to increased education when it comes to possible remedies. But more specifically, Anita and Amelia both feel the education needs to start from a very basic level in young children (whose minds are sponges), so that upon growing up, these children will have environmental care and maintenance engrained as an increasingly important priority in their daily lives. And fortunately, a proposal Anita supports, largely amounting to fining trash polluters and replanting what one destroys, is already in the works. In the April nineteenth edition of one of Guanajuato’s newspapers, a.m., there appeared an article listing the functions of a newly-passed law within the city, some of which included the punishment of institutions, businesses, and individual people for the improper disposal of waste, a mandate for those who cut down trees to replant more, and the creation of an additional committee devoted to the restoration and preservation of ecosystems in the surrounding area. 1

One of the biggest concerns regarding clean energy today is an economic one. We simply cannot ask poverty-stricken people to invest in alternative energy technologies in the name of preserving the environment, when they are in large part more concerned about the preservation of their families. This is only human. The poor are the ones generally buying the cheapest, most inefficient, polluting vehicles. This is particularly evident in Guanajuato, as the most popular cars are old, cheap, gas-guzzling, inefficient American models. The poor are also the ones more or less dependent upon cheap but dirty energy provided by the government. But the government has an argument here as well: it helps provide cheap energy to its struggling citizens. However, this is where gradual change and implementation play a role. Guanajuato is a windy and sunny place. Solar panels are expensive but can be subsidized for and wind turbines are cheap. Hence, the government would not have to charge so much for this type of energy, in turn making it affordable for middle to lower economic class citizens. And at the very least those of us who are already financially capable to make such energy shifts are the ones who have to start and eventually spread the practices.

Some of the good news is that these sorts of proposals for wind energy have already been made and are at least in the midst of the stage of transforming the idea/proposal into visible, effective action. The Catholic monument and frequent tourist destination in the Guanajuato area, Cristo Rey, is one of the highest points in the area and consequently would serve as “the principal potential to install wind energy generators” for the cities of Guanajuato and Leon, as some of the steadiest horizontal wind currents take place up there.2 The proposal I speak of also includes the collaboration of a Leon-based business and el Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas in the creation of an experimental, enormous wind-energy generator at this location. They have also proposed to map out the areas on tops of hills in Guanajuato where other significant wind currents could give significant basis for the construction of more of these experimental machines. What about wind mills? The ideas are out there, as well as those who support them and would have them implemented. The next step is implementation.

Additional, but at the very least hopeful developments may be found in the local government’s official statements and occasionally, hard laws like the one previously mentioned over waste disposal. On the state government’s website(the city of Guanajuato is the capital of the state of Guanajuato), one can find general statements that are referred to as “advantages” of running an environmentally-friendly, limited energy using, innovative, and globally-minded business.3 Upon further exploration one notices governmental “recommendations” for ways in which the city as a whole can act to protect the local environment, in the hopes of maintaining a healthy place to live for current Guanajuatans and those of future generations.4 Not surprisingly however, the vast majority of these environment-related postings center on care for the surrounding environment and especially, the conservation of water, which is likely the most threatening problem at the moment for the people of Guanajuato. There is no shame in this, as humans simply need water to survive, but we must not overlook the great effect this has of diverting the concerns of many Guanajuatans to simply their own state’s well-being, if not just their own individual well-being. Local water conservation likely has positive implications for the globe in general, but in this case does not seem to be directed towards or motivated by a larger-scale concern for our globe’s climate problems.

A further student I spoke with named Bris, who is nineteen years old, living in Guanajuato and studying at The University of Guanajuato, offered a shockingly honest account of her own patterns of action-provoking thought regarding global climate change. She first told me that she simply does not do much to combat the problem, but then later, perhaps from a sense of guilt, mentioned she did do some basic things like making sure unneeded electricity was turned off. But she said she does not really notice the government doing anything either. This might have been what lead her to then mention the outlooks of many of her friends, who are aware of the problem, but do not really act to mitigate its effects because they simply feel their efforts would be of no avail, as they also observe little large, institutional, or just collective action. She even conceded that a great deal of pessimism exists among her friends that reside at an increased level of awareness of the problem and are more familiar with its effects. Bris’ impressions of governmental action in the area towards combating climate change seemed to resemble that of previous interviewees, largely consisting of admissions that governmental officials here simply have more pressing priorities. This primarily includes the well-being of the citizens of the city, which in Guanajuato, and Mexico in general, boils down to economic, job related concerns. So logically, the contribution of the city of Guanajuato towards diminishing the effects of global warming is a bit farther down their list of priorities. The trash collection, reforestation, and energy efficiency related programs (that were few) that she said she noticed seemed to always be cut short, likely due these more directly alarming priorities of economic well-being.

We might pinpoint time and money as the root of the problem here in Guanajuato, the underlying reason that more is not done to initiate large-scale climate change mitigation efforts. For starters, three people I spoke to all emphasized to me that the city government officials here only remain in power for four to six years. During their time in office, they supposedly want to secure for themselves an excellent reputation in the eyes of their citizens. They want to get re-elected. This means making changes that take effect quickly and on large scales. Our planet’s climate crisis does not lend well to this pattern. Actions towards combating our climate problem naturally must start small and slowly accrue to have a long-term positive effect. And no governmental official wants to do just a little. Theoretically, they would not want to spend their time contributing to efforts that will take the equivalent of at least five or six of the time periods they could be in office to come to fruition. At the same time, any reason that there might not be sufficient funds within the government here to mandate large-scale climate-savvy action is difficult to justify when one receives information from people who have lived in Guanajuato all of their lives regarding excessively high salaries for government officials. Anita specifically mentioned that the government here also continues to send much money to retired governmental officials. The other, and arguably more legitimate side of the economic problem, has already been mentioned but resides in the fact that many citizens rely on the cheap energy the government currently provides and in a larger sense rely on the cheap(but often inefficient and dirty) provision of energy in all respects. Their concern for their own economic well-being naturally precedes that of the well-being of our planet.

So, what can we conclude from all of this? A number of things. The city of Guanajuato is not completely devoid of well-managed, properly guided initiatives to do its part, or what it can, to contribute towards the alleviation of our planet’s climate crisis. But it is not full of them either. The ones that exist range from mere suggestions or recommendations to hard governmental laws that threaten to punish businesses and individuals for insufficient consideration of the environment amidst their regular practices to recycling projects to reforestation efforts to predominantly privately lead alternative and clean energy initiatives. Some of Guanajuato’s own unique factors, principally economic, seem to have a great affect on climate change action, as we have already seen. From what I have gathered myself, there does seem to exist some sort of gap in between what the government says it supports and does, and what the citizens in the city observe the government doing. The governmental initiatives that do exist tend to be mostly geared to benefit a specifically Guanajuatan population, while the majority of globally-minded efforts in the city seem to come from individual, private efforts. These often take the form of simple action within people’s own homes, ranging from utilizing the bulgingly popular and more efficient compact-fluorescent light bulb, limited use of products made from non-renewable sources (plastic, styrofoam, etc.), keeping lights and other electrical devices turned off when not being used, use of public transportation and natural light, and more.

Fortunately, we also see ideas being proposed to install solar and wind energy receptors around the Guanajuato area. But these will be hard-pressed to take positive effect unless the government here embraces them by allowing them to be sold on a large scale or simply by beginning to provide them themselves.

Regarding the mentalities that exist among citizens in Guanajuato when it comes to the problem, it is obvious that there is no lack of awareness. The town in general may be described as fairly progressive, although somewhat conservative, and more or less informed, as it holds the liberal University of Guanajuato and retains some intellectual figures. The problem however, seems to reside in the importance and priority the problem takes in the minds of citizens here, as well as the government. This translates directly into an issue of degree. Things are being done, but they simply do not seem to be enough. This is not just from what I gathered in my own investigative and observational experience, but judging from the words of citizens in Guanajuato as well. The inhibitions to this further action seem to be particularly strong, especially when one considers the great potential this area has for wind and solar energy, like we have already discussed. One might think environment and energy related concerns like these would be nearer to the front of people’s minds and therefore priorities, especially given the fact that the area already has significant problems with water scarcity, erosion, dryness of land, and deforestation. But unfortunately, much of the formal concern and initiative to action stop at the local level. This helps, but our mindsets need to grow to include our planet on the whole, if it is in fact the planet we want to help. It is not unreasonable to propose that harsh threats of punishment are in order to force people to comply with climate protection laws, as well as the implementation of some kind of display of the potentially drastic consequences that will ensue if we do not take more effective action. According to the citizens I spoke with, increased, regular and routine education about climate change are things that need to be put into action here.

My own role in this exploratory process was not intended to be one of judgment, although a certain degree of that is unavoidable. I wanted to observe, analyze, observe some more, let thoughts settle, and then analyze a bit more. I feel this was what I did. I certainly am a bit removed from the real inside situation here in Guanajuato, including that of climate change combat, and forever will be simply because I am not a Guanajuatan. But the fact remains that I can still retain some legitimacy in analyzing what efforts are being put forth in a city I have spent four months in and whether or not those efforts seem to be effective.

What has been invaluable to me about this process has been the chance to speak with real people who experience the real events, problems, and successes in the city. I have had a vested interest in climate change and our natural world for several years, but it was only until this process did I learn to appreciate the every-day realities for those who have to combat the problem, and specifically t

Tomorrow

By Jonathan Linhart

            When Al Gore gave his “Repower America” speech on July 17, 2008, at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitutional Hall in Washington, he painted a pretty grim picture of the status of America, and our environment.  But, more importantly, he shed light on the fact that we could change this, and even gave concrete step of how to do exactly that.  Now, almost two years later, Repower America has become much more than a speech that was given in some old hall in Washington, it has become a movement to transition America to clean, renewable energy, and in the process to revitalize our economy, strengthen our national security, and solve the climate crisis that affects our planet.

            The Repower America website (www.repoweramerica.org), lists these reasons why to transition to clean and renewable energy, and even gives us the steps to take in order to just that. Why do this?

·      To Revitalize our Economy.

Transitioning from fossil fuel to renewable sources of energy, such as wind and solar, would add a net increase of 1.7 million American jobs.  At the same time strengthening our manufacturing sector that has been in decline for some years now.  These are jobs that could not be outsourced, and therefore would be given to Americans, growing our workforce and contributing to our GDP.  The average American family would also benefit for this transition in the way of lower energy cost.  The average American household could start seeing savings within just a few years, and these savings could reach an average of $900 per household per year by 2030.  This transition would also restore America’s economic leadership that we possessed for so long, and have now lost.

·      To Strengthen our National Security

The effect of this transition would be that we, as Americans, could stop sending hundreds of billions of dollars to the most unstable and dangerous regions of the world, thus protecting our National security from those that seek to harm us, and our way of life.  Transitioning to a clean energy economy would rely on renewable domestic sources that reduce this risk to almost nothing.

·      To Solve the Climate Crisis

Our climate has been changing rapidly, way more rapidly than scientist have even predicted.  Greenhouse gas emissions at an all time high have brought droughts, floods, extreme weather patterns; all due to global warming.  These impact our economy, and national security, as well, but also our way of life.  Fear of our planet is no way to live, and for our children’s sake this must be addressed.  Comprehensive clean energy policies help to solve the global climate crisis, and the transition from dirty fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas), to renewable sources (wind, and solar) would reduce those greenhouse gas emissions.  Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the number one cause of the global climate crisis, is not only good for environment, but also for our health.      

Great in theory, but HOW do we do all this you ask?  Simple.  By taking action: by signing the petitions that will force local, state, and the federal government to make these changes.  By getting the federal, and state government to set limits on greenhouse gas emissions.  By getting the federal government to set a Renewable electricity standard (RES) which mandates by law that a certain percentage of all electricity sold in the US has to come from renewable sources, such as wind and solar.  By giving tax incentives, grant programs, funding research and development programs, and help fund activities that would reduce or avoid carbon.

Mr. Gore put this challenge to America almost two years ago starting a movement that some, myself included, would call visionary.  These changes have no down side to them, a true rarity in the world we live in.  This is a transition that will benefit America, and the world as a whole.  It will benefit our environment, our economy, our peace of mind, and most importantly the next generations.  You can learn more about this or get involved in this movement at the Repower America website mentioned earlier.    

Image by ProgressOhio via Flickr

Stroke-release is my term’ for ejaculation. Orgasm and stroke-release are two separate entities. Stroke-release is simply the series of penile contractions at about 0.9 second intervals, which pump the spunk out. The feeling of orgasm happens in the brain. So it is possible to orgasm without stroke-release through long, involved mental exercises which train the brain and the body to sever the two. However, rather than not stroke-release at all, focus on developing the self-awareness to work yourself right up to the brink of orgasm and then hold back. This is as close as guys get to a multiple orgasm.

                                              
Double-take is when two or more females are involved in the sexual action. In this situation, guys, see to it that the pleasure is about the girls-not yours. If greed or over-excitement gets the best of you, you’ll most likely make the girls uncomfortable and blow it. If one of the females if your girl or someone you’ve had some sexual action with before, be sure she gets the most attention. And think of yourself as a conductor: skillfully provide guidance, and smoothly move heads and hands where they need to be. If you begin to detect uncomfortability in any of the girls, simply stop and yield to a different act. To keep the show going good, be sure that everyone’s receiving something at all times. Like an expert, put on your cool, calm and collective mask–and if you happen to shoot your load too quick, say they’ve raised the heating temperature in you–and that you wanna make this party last all night.

In addition, be mindful of whether a female is really enjoying the sexual pleasure, or just plain faking it. Although sexual-sounds-of-passion is part of the action, it really has a lot to do with one’s upbringing, past experience and personality. Some people are screamers, some are groaners, some moan–and some remain silent no matter what. In either case, they all equally enjoy the pleasurable sensation that sexual action brings–long as it’s genuine.

As for the guys who are curious about their own backside, the prostate gland, which produces most of the fluid when a guy release, is considered the male G-spot–and stimulation of the area can be quite pleasurable. However, such spot is said to be located about two inches up your anus. So for a good start, stimulate the prostate externally with a firm massage of the perineum(the area between your derrier and your balls), then you can work a fingertip up in there. And to satisfy your curiosity, yes, it’s pleasurably worth it.

As for the tool-breaking method goes, guys, yes–you can break your tool if you have an erection and there’s a sudden bending force on top of it. The tubes that carry the engorged blood vessels can rupture and it’s pretty obvious when that has happened. The most common problem, however, has to do with the foreskin: When it pulls back during sexual intercourse there’s sometimes too much pressure on the thin layer of skin that attaches the foreskin to the back of the head of the tool, which can tear–and because it contain nerves and blood vessels, it’s both painful and quite bloody. If this happens, don’t panic. Just press down on it for a few minutes and the bleeding should stop. If not, as surely as you know that one plus one equals two, best believe you need to get that checked by a doctor quick!

No matter how many leaders we kill, there will always be a new, younger and more powerful leader to take over. Today, i caught wind from contacts in Dubai and Kabul that a new leader heads the Al-Qaeda but no name is given.

The Al-Qaeda agents have confirmed that Osama is indeed dead, and they want revenge.

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“It will remain, with permission from Allah the Almighty, a curse that hunts the Americans and their collaborators and chases them inside and outside their country.”

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Al Qaeda urged Pakistanis to rise up against their government to “cleanse” the country of what it called the shame brought on it by bin Laden’s shooting and of the “filth of the Americans who spread corruption in it.”

Statements made by Al-Qaeda also wans the Americans to not harm Bin Laden’s body and to hand it and those others who were killed to their families. However, U.S. Officials state that Bin Laden’s body has been buried at sea. The other bodies of his son and servents were never taken b the U.S.

About 1,500 Islamists rallied in the southwestern city of Quetta to vow revenge for bin Laden’s death and there were small protests elsewhere. Afghan Taliban and Islamist Indonesian youths made similar threats.

“FIVE YEARS” IN COMPOUND

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Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah, one of Osama’s 11 wives tells that Bin Laden had been living in that compound for 5 years. Possible Evidence that Pakistan had indeed been protecting him? Not only this but his compound was not far off from a Garrisoned Town. Perhaps Al-Qaeda is bigger than we thought.

Pakistan has stated that U.S. Military activity will be reduced removing a possiblility of ending the War fast. With only 300 soldiers in Pakistan, it will be difficult to hold a strong grip on this war.

News has surfaced that Bin Laden had actually saved lives of his Muslim people by fighting the U.S. This is not the only reason as to why he is called a Hero, but, during the Massacre. Bin Laden was found moments before death to be protecting his Daughter from 2 attackers. He took a bullet to the chest and head to save her life.

Rumors spread that he was helping people escape on a truck, though this may be false.